YouTube Influencer Mike Relm On Branding And Hip-Hop

Mike Relm is a YouTube influencer who is rapidly changing the way people look at music and video. Being a pioneer of mixing video on screens in front of packed crowds got him touring with The Blue Man Group and Tony Hawk among others. Then he was asked to remix movie trailers and he's been altering the way we look at the potential of music, video, and sound ever since. He just directed The Jabbawockeez first music video entitled "Devastating Stereo", with music by The Bangerz (its amazing but please read this through before you watch it!). In this interview we talk about technology Hip-Hop and branding

How did you get started as a DJ and how did that evolve into all
the film and touring you do now?

The second I heard two songs mixed together, I was hooked. It was
just so crazy to me that you can do that with music. So I decided to
spend my high school years doing nothing but scratching and mixing. The
whole film thing was always there because I'd use samples of movie
quotes to help spice up my mixes. I also did a lot of mixes for
cheerleader squads and dance crews, both of whom always liked when I
gave them a cool movie intros. I always thought it would be cool to do
those mixes with the actual film samples playing on a big screen, but
back then everything was analog so scratching video was just science
fiction to me. Cut to the not-so-distant future when my entire show is
multi-media.

Many people remember you from doing video mixing live at the Blue
Man Group shows. How did that come together?

Blue Man Group really came out of nowhere, I had just gotten off tour
with Del The Funky Homosapien when we got the call. They had seen some
YouTube videos of me and thought I'd be a good match for their "How to
be a Megastar 2.0" tour. They were right, and that experience changed my
life completely.

What's your favorite memory touring with them?

We were touring together for about 2 years so it's really hard to
pick just one. I like to look back and think of just how lucky I was to
have that as my first arena tour. They chose me based on my talents, not
because we're on the same record label. Everyone got along so well, I
never really felt like "the new guy" even though most everyone had known
each other for years. That's the thing about touring that a lot of
people don't think about - you get a new family every few months. You're
around the same people all day and night, and I'm so fortunate that
throughout my career I've been able to surround myself with people I get
along really well with.

How much preparation does it take to spin for audiences as diverse
as Blue Man, Tony Hawk or say a pure Hip-Hop show?

It really varies. For Blue Man, I sort of over-prepared since it was
such a different audience than what I was used to. But that was a good
thing because as the tour went on I was able to make adjustments very
quickly because I had all this material ready to go. Blue Man Group's
audience is also so diverse themselves that they liked a lot of the
stuff I use at Hip Hop shows and indie rock festivals. Tony Hawk's tour
was the same way, except I got to use more punk songs which I was never
able to do (and still haven't had a chance to). In general I usually
spend a week or two preparing for a tour or a unique show. I'm all over
the place musically anyway, so even when I do a Hip Hop show I'm not
even playing 50% Hip Hop.

Your video mixes were turning heads long before ?uestlove from The
Roots started doing it on Jimmy Fallon. How did
you get into that?

Once I saw the technology for scratching and mixing video, I went for
that and literally have not looked back in terms of DJing. I believe it
was 2004 when I was in Japan that I came across it for the first time. A
few guys were using it at clubs to play music videos with, but I saw it
as a tool for live shows and video production.

Your trailer remixes for The Spirit and Iron Man brought you a ton
of online recognition. I know you've been also doing some cool things
with YouTube. Tell me about what you've been doing with them?

It actually hadn't occurred to me that people would like to see movie
trailers remixed until Lionsgate asked me to do the
Spirit/Transporter/Punisher one. I'm so glad they did, because I've
since created a channel on YouTube dedicated to remixes of all sorts.

What are your thoughts on how brands use or misuse Hip-Hop
elements in their campaigns. While the music industry may be technically
suffering it seems more and more brands are using Hip-Hop to sell their
position to the youth. What's being done right and wrong in your
opinion?

The music industry has changed so drastically, a lot of it has to do
with technology. And I'm not talking about pirating, because it's
debatable whether or not that helps or hurts the industry as a whole. If
I'm not mistaken, when Napster was at its peak bands were selling
insane amounts of CD's. Now that file sharing is getting clamped down on
more than ever, bands are selling insanely low amounts of records. Now
the marketspace is so cluttered that it's hard for some people to GIVE
away music. As far as Hip Hop goes, I think it's great that brands are
using it. Yeah, it stings a little when you see it misused, but at the
same time I find myself appreciating the good stuff way more when I see
something bad. I'm a believer in the idea that every artform has an
audience, it's just a matter of getting yours in front of the people who
would like it.

You recently relocated from The Bay, to LA. How do you like that?

It's been a couple months and it's been great. I've lived in the Bay
Area all my life, but I've also traveled a lot so there was almost no
adjustment period. There's a cool energy out here, definitely more
emphasis on entertainment.

What's the latest stuff you've been working on and when can we see
it?

I just directed a video for the Jabbawockeez, which I'm really
excited about. It's called "Devastating Stereo", produced by The
Bangerz, who I've been friends with for years. It was great to
collaborate with everyone especially since we all got to bring our
different strengths to the project.